Anyone who has attempted to change their dietary behaviours and habits as an adult can attest to the fact that it’s far from easy. And why would it be? Often we’ve spent the majority of our life reinforcing these behaviours. What this illustrates is that it’s likely more effective to ingrain healthy behaviours from an early age.
A great way to encourage your children to try different foods is to involve them in the kitchen. Children can start being involved in preparing food from a young age – my kids were stirring pancake batter for me by the time they could steadily hold a whisk. For some, the idea of letting the kids loose in the kitchen can be quite daunting. Not to mention the potential dangers and mess involved. Fret not, here are 5 handy tips for encouraging kids into the kitchen and keeping it enjoyable for all involved.
Keep it simple.
If your children are new to the kitchen then it’s unlikely they’ll be able to produce a Masterchef inspired dinner. Depending on their age, they are also quite likely to lose interest rather quickly. Especially if the recipe has too many steps or a long, complicated cooking process. For the very beginners and young chefs, a smoothie or juice is an ideal starting place(try one of these). Another great starting point is getting them to add their own toppings to a store bought pizza base. As they become more experienced in the kitchen you can start introducing more complex recipes.
Involve your kids in meal planning
Children are more likely to show interest in the cooking process if they have a say in what is being made. Rather than asking “what would you like?”, having a number of healthy options or recipes for them to choose from includes them in the process without fully handing over the reins. Going over the recipe and taking them shopping for the ingredients can help increase your child’s interest to get into the kitchen.
Encourage them to cook a variety of different foods over time. It’s easy to get stuck baking cookies and other less nutritious options. A good strategy in these situations would be to set them a cooking challenge. Choose a fruit or vegetable and allow them to find a recipe to make with it. Just make sure that it’s within their skill level.
Schedule a suitable time
At 6pm after a long day of school/work, when everyone wanted dinner 30 minutes ago is probably not the best time to get the kids cooking. Remember, the goal is for this to be a fun and enjoyable experience for all involved. Choose a time when there are no distractions or time constraints. From my experience, kids take at least twice the amount of time to cook compared to you or I. Make sure that you have allowed plenty of time for them to finish making whatever they have started. It’s also a good idea to schedule cooking around a regular meal or snack time so that the kids get to eat the food they prepared.
Make a child-friendly space for them to cook
The kitchen can be a pretty dangerous place if you don’t take a minute to child-proof. For younger children, consider preparing food at the dining table where they can kneel on seats to reach the bowls/utensils etc. Then if cooking with heat is required, you can move to the kitchen. Older children should be taught how things work, including how to use appliances, especially cooktops and ovens, safely. If allowed to cook with heat, ensure they are at a height where they can safely reach the pots and pans, and aren’t at risk of pulling hot items on top of themselves.
Do it regularly
The more opportunities that you give your children to cook, the better they are going to get at it. Make it a regular event, whether it be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Starting out it might just be smoothies and scrambled eggs but over time they will move on to more complex items. One day in the future they will even be able to make dinner for the whole family. Then by the time they are adults you will have taught them an incredibly valuable skill – to be able to cook wholesome, nutritious foods.
If you feel that you need to brush up on your own food preparation skills before cooking with the kids, contact the Healthy Eating Hub to discuss how our Kitchen Consultations could help you.
